Italy Imposes €7m Penalties On BAT, Amazon For Misleading Tobacco

Italy Imposes €7m Penalties On BAT, Amazon For Misleading Tobacco

Advertisements Italy’s antitrust authority has imposed fines of six million euros ($6.4 million) on British American Tobacco’s Italian arm and one million euros on Amazon for deceptive advertising of a heated tobacco product…..READ ALSO

The AGCM regulatory body stated that both companies promoted BAT’s Glo Hyper X2 and Glo Hyper Air devices without adequately disclosing “information about the tobacco/nicotine consumption associated with the use of these devices and the prohibition of their sale to minors.”

According to the watchdog, the products were marketed “as simple electronic devices and mere design objects,” with advertisements primarily highlighting their aesthetics while disregarding the fact that they involve tobacco consumption.

“This constitutes seriously deceptive behavior that encourages customers to purchase a product that poses health risks and is prohibited for minors,” the authority declared.

BAT Italia and Amazon.it, the Italian arm of the implicated US e-commerce giant, did not respond to requests for comment.

The fines were imposed following an investigation initiated by the watchdog in April 2023.